Boat-propeller.



H. A. W. THOMASSON.

BOAT PROPELLEB. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1917.

Patented May 28, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R m m Her/12 1114: T homassdn B imdd aaxh'z/ A TTORNE Y H. A. W.THOMASSON.

BOAT PROPELLER APPLICATION FILED .NOV 1, I917.

Patented May 28, 1918.

2 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

INVENTOR. Henry JLW Thomasson A TTORNE Y HENRY A. W. THOMASSON, 0FBELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON.

BOAT-PBOPELLER.

Application filed November 1, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. W. THOMASSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and residing at Bellingham, W'hatcom county, Washington, haveinvented a new and useful Boat-Propeller, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in boat propellers in whichpaddlesare forced horizontally through the water and returned above thewater, and the objects of my invention are to provide a propeller suitedfor use in shallow water, canals, and where high speed is desired.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingtwo sheets of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of thepropelling mechanism, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. l partly insection on line c-d of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sternend of a boat with my improved propeller attached drawn on a smallerscale, Fig. & and

Fig. 5 are separated elevation views of one of the paddle rollways.

Similar characters refer to similar. parts throughout. Certain parts arebroken away in order to show other parts hidden thereby.

More particularly: The boat 1 has an outrig, stern extension comprisingframe beams 1, 1, 1 and 1. gine shaft 2 extends rearward passing throughthe stern of the boat in gland bearing 2. The rear end of shaft 2 ismounted in a bearing on middle frame beam 1 and forward of said bearingworm 2 is rigidly mounted on said shaft. A crank shaft Sis mountedathwart in bearings 3, 3, etc. On the middle of the crank shaft isrigidly mounted worm wheel 3 engaged with worm 2. On the crank shaft aretwo pairs of diametrically related cranks 3, 3 and 3, 3. The front endsof connecting rods 4, 4 are connected to cranks 3, 3, and connectingrods 5, 5 have their front ends connected to cranks 3, 3. The stern endsof connecting rods 4, 4. are connected rigidly with paddle 6, and thestern ends of connecting rods 5, 5 are rigidly connected to paddle 7Paddle 6 has threeparallel, vertical blades placed athwart and connectedby extended end pieces 6, 6. To each end of paddle 6 is fastened angleplate 6, on each of which is a vertical lug 6. On each of lugs 6, 6 ismounted a roller placed to roll in one of two facing rollways 8, 9 and8, 9. Each of said Specification of Letters Patent.

From engine 2 en-,

Patented May 28, 1918.

Serial No. 199,616.

rollways comprises a fixed rollway 8 and a pivoted rollway 9. Rollway 8has a middle horizontal part 8 ending in upward inclines 8 and 8 whichrespectively terminate above in turn loops 8 and 8. Each of rollers 6may also roll in one of two upper rollways 9, 9, pivoted at 9, 9 andeach having downwardly inclined ends 9 and 9 so located that whenrollway 9 turns on pivot 9 to cause its stern end to move to its lowerlimit inclined rollway end 9 registers with turn loop 8, and the forwardinclined rollway end 9 is above and out of register with forward turnloop 8. Similarly, when the forward inclined rollway 9 is depressed toits lower limit it registers with turn loop 8 and 9 is out of registerwith turn loop 8 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines inFig. 4:. A pair of standards 9, 9 project upward from the top of each ofupper rollways 9 and to the upper end of each is attached slide rod 9parallel to rollway 9. Slidable on each of rods 9, 9 is a counterweight9. One set of upper and lower rollways 8 and 9 is attached to the insideof frame beam 1 and the other is fastened to the port side of middleframe beam 1, said rollways facing each other. The two counterweights 9,9 are connected by a rod 9 to the middle of which is engaged the sternend of connecting rod 9. To the inside of frame beam 1 and the starboardside of middle frame beam 1 are fastened two facing lower rollways 10,10 and two upper facing rollways 11, 11, similar in all respects to thefacing lower and upper rollways 8, 8 and 9, 9; Oounterweights 11, 11 onupper rollways 11, 11 are connected by rod 11 to the middle of which isengaged the stern end of connecting rod 11. Paddle 7 and rollers 7, 7are respectively similar in all respects to paddle 6 and rollers 6, 6.Athwart the stern of boat 1 is mounted rocker shaft 12 in bearings 12,12 fastened to said boat. Master hand lever 12 is rigidly mounted on oneend of shaft 12. It has a dog 12. engageable ineach of two notches 12and 12 in ratchet 12 which is rigidly attached to said boat. Hand lever13 is mounted for revolution onshaft 12 between set ring 12 and ratchet13. Ratchet 13 is rigidly mounted on shaft 12 and has three notches 13,13 and 13 in each of which a dog 13 pivoted to lever 13 may engage. Theforward end of connecting rod 9 is connected to hand lever 13. Handlever 14: is mounted for revolution on shaft 12 between set ring 12 andratchet 14c. Ratchet 14: is rigidly mounted on shaft 12 and has threenotches respectively registering with notches 13 13 and 13* in ratchet13. Hand lever ll has a pivoted dog which may engage in each of saidnotches in ratchet 14. When 12, 13 and 1 l are in their position shownin full lines counterweights 9 9 and 11 11 are in their rear positionsshown in full lines. But by moving hand lever 12 to its dotted positionshown in Fig. 2, dog 12 engages in notch 12 and counterweights 9, 9 and11 11 are moved to and retained in their forward positions shown indotted lines in Fig. 2. But, since hand lever 13 is loose on shaft 12,it can be moved independently of master lever 12 and retained in eitherof three positions by dog 13 en gaging in either of notches 13 13 or 13;respectively retaining counterweights 9 9 in their rear positions, shownin full lines in Fig. 1 and Fig.2 and Fig. i, their forward positions,shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, or

- in their middle positions, shown in full lines in Fig. 5. l i hencounterweights 9 9 are in their rear positions they cause the rear endsof upper rollways 9, 9 to incline downward. When said counterweights arein their forward positions, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, they causethe forward ends of said rollways to incline downward. But when saidcounterweights are in their central positions, shown in Fig. 5, said rolways are free to remain with either end down. Similarly the inclinationof upper rollways 11, 11 is controlled by the positions of weights 11 11In operation: Assume that engine 2 re volves crank shaft 3 in acounterclockwise direction, Fig. 3 and Fig. 2, then paddle 6 is beingdriven rearward as indicated by the arrows. The continued revolution ofcranks 3," 3* drives rollers 6 6 upward on inclines 8 8 until theystrike the lower ends of rollways 9", causing them to move upward andpermit said rollers to pass into loops 8 where their direction of motionreverses and they leave said loops and pass up in inclines 9 acrossrollways 9 down in rollways 9 where the weight of paddle 6 overbalancescounterweight-s 9 and causes the forward ends of the upper rollways totip down and make inclines 9 register with loop 8 where their directionof motion is reversed as referred to when they occupied loops 8.Meanwhile the forward ends '9 have returned to their former positions,Fig. 2, under pressure of weights S and when rollers 6 move rearwardthey pass down inclines 8 and across horizontals 8 to their formerfull-line positions in Fig. 2. Thus paddle 6 has been caused to passthrough the full round of its course. The water surface is representedby line -6- When rollers 6 are in upper rollways 9- paddle 6 is entirelyout of the water, and when said rollers are on lower rollway 8 thepaddle is immersed. During the rearward travel of the rollers in rollway8, therefore the boat is caused to move forward. The movement of masterhand lever 12 forward to its dotted position causes weights 9 to occupytheir forward position which tilts the forward end of rollways 9downward to stand in their dotted position of Fig. 2. Then rollers 6 onleaving loop 8 can not enter incline 9 and they return to rollway 8 overwhich they move in a forward direction and paddle 6 forces the boatbackward. @n leaving loops 8 the rollers enter inclines 9 and pass overrolle way 9 moving rearward while the paddle is above the water. Thusthe reversal of the paddle movement is accomplished by moving the masterlever. As noted, hand levers 13 and 1d are moved by lever 12, thus thedirection of travel of both paddles 6 and 7 are simultaneouslycontrolled by themaster lever. However, hand levers 13 and 14lcan eachbe moved independently and it is ohvious, from the foregoingdescription, that the direction of movement of both paddles in theircycles can be separately controlled by said levers and the boat can beturned in either direction as desired by causingpaddles6 and 7 to movein opposite directions in said ycles. Also by placing levers 13 and 14!in their middle positions both pad- 1 dles are prevented from enteringthe water and have no effect on moving the boat.

The illustrated construction of the paddles give them a good hold on thewater, and the shape. of the rollways cause them to enter and leave thewater with little waste efiort.

lhe distance separating the upper and, lower rollways can be suflicientinpractice to permit the paddles to be entirely out of the water whentheir rollers are in the upper rollway even in rough water.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is- 1. in combination, a paddle, a rollermounted on said paddle, a fixed lower rollway, a pivoted upper rollway,mounted to rock into and out of register with said lower rollway, andmeans to cause said roller. to traverse said rollways in oppositedirections.

2. In combination, a paddle, a roller mounted on said paddle, a finedlower rollway, a pivot-ed upper rollway mounted to rock into and out ofregister with said lower rollway, and means to cause said roller to.move back and forth in said upper rollway.

3. In combination, a paddle, a roller mounted on said paddle, a fixedlower rollway, a pivoted upper rollway mounted to permit its ends toalternately rock into and out of register with the ends of said lowerrollway, and means to cause either the forward or rearward end of saidpivoted rollway to automatically register with either the forward orrearward end of said fixed rollway, respectively.

4. In combination, a paddle, a roller mounted on said paddle, a fixedlower rollway having upwardly inclined ends terminating in return loops,a pivoted upper rollway, having downwardly inclined ends, mounted tocause each of said ends to come into and depart from registering withone of the said return loops, as said upper rollway rocks on its pivot.

5. In combination, a paddle, a roller mounted on said paddle, a fixedlower rollway, a pivoted upper rollway mounted to alternately registerwith each end of said lower rollway, a longitudinal slide rod on saidupper rollway, a counterweight movable on said slide rod, and means tomove said weight to predetermined locations on said slide rod andmaintain the same therein.

6. In combination, a boat; a prime mover in said boat; an outrigextension on the stern of said boat; a shaft mounted for rocking on thestern of said boat; one fixed hand lever, having a dog, mounted on saidrocker shaft; a plurality of loose hand levers, each having a dog,mounted on said rocker shaft; a ratchet, having two'notches engageablewith the dog of said fixed lever, mounted on said boat; a plurality ofratchets each having three notches, rigidly mounted on said rockershaft, the said three notches on each ratchet being engageable with thedog on one of said loose levers; a shaft having a plurality of cranksmounted for turning on said extension; power-transmission connectionsbetween said prime mover and said crank shaft; a plurality of pairs offacing paddle rollways, the lower two of which are rigidly attached tosaid extension and the upper two are pivoted to said extension; a sliderod mounted on each of said upper rollways; a counterweight slidable oneach of said slide rods, the weights on each pair of rollways beingrigidly connected; a paddle for each pair of said rollways, each paddlemounting a pair of rollers mounted on a pair of said rollways; twoconnecting rods rigidly fastened to each of said paddles and connectedto a registering pair of cranks on said crank shaft; and a connectingrod between each pair of connected counterweights and one of said loosehand levers.

Signed at Bellingham, in the county of Whatcom and State of Washingtonthis 18th day of October, 1917.

HENRY A. w. THOMASON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

